What's the knock on Cameron Heyward? I hate college football anymore but hard to imagine he's not a top 10 pro-fit. Kinda shocked to keep seeing him rated low.

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Cameron Heyward Scouting Report

Strengths: Prototypical size for 5-technique Has length with strong musculature Strong at point of attack Sets the edge in the run game Heavy hands Gets terrific arm extension to control linemen Flashes dominance Shows ability to take on double teams Tends to stay low to ground Good instincts; sniffs plays out and disrupts Tons of experience at multiple positions on DL (DT, DE, 5-tech) Strong work ethic Nice initial pop Powerful

Weaknesses: Highly inconsistent and can take some games off (not plays - whole games) Doesn't always play as big as he is Soft Motor runs hot and cold Not a fluid athlete; a little stiff Average speed Lacks a pass rush repertoire Doesn't make much of an impact rushing the quarterback Below average production

Summary: I don't think a player's stock has fallen on my board over the summer more than Heyward's. I went into the summer expecting to see a first-round pick on tape, and instead I now see a second-rounder. He gets dominated by inferior competition and should be more dominant on a more consistent basis when you factor in his size, strength and talent.

Heyward's best fit by far at the next level is the 5-technique position (3-4 DE), and I just don't see him being an impact pass rusher at 4-3 left defensive end. Heyward needs to step up in his senior year if he wants to be a top 25 pick. As I mentioned previously, Heyward is starting the 2011 season with a second-round grade on my board.

Player Comparison: Kenyon Coleman. Coleman is a strong player against the run for the Browns, but he's a little inconsistent and doesn't offer much in terms of a pass rush.

After showing potential in the first two years in Columbus, Heyward, the son of late NFL running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, began making a name for himself with a breakout 2009 season. Scouts weren't overly impressed with his play throughout most of his senior year, but coaches named him first-team all-conference and his strong performance in the team's Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas underlined his potential.

The former top-10 recruit from Georgia played every game in his four-year career, contributing immediately as a true freshman in 2007 (33 tackles, 10 for loss, 2.5 sacks, three passes defended, eight starts in 13 games) because of injuries along the defensive line. He started every game as a sophomore, making 36 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks, then earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his breakout junior year (46 tackles, 10 for loss, 6.5 sacks). His numbers decreased in 2010 (48, 13 for loss, 3.5 sacks).

Heyward was scheduled to move inside in 2010, but the team's depth inside allowed him to anchor the edge as a starter -- though he lines up at every spot on the line except nose tackle, depending on the team's alignment. That versatility comes from his above-average strength, size, athleticism and effort and allows scouts to look past his inconsistent play and project him as a first-round talent.

Analysis

Pass rush: Though not a true outside pass-rush threat, he will pressure the quarterback no matter where he lines up. Lines up on either end, as well as at the five-technique and uses quickness off the snap and excellent length to split double-teams, get inside of linemen when man-up, or push back guards into the pocket. Agile enough to be effective on twists from the outside. Running backs and tight ends are no match against Heyward in pass protection. Tough one-on-one matchup for guards inside due to his lateral quickness, hustle and club move. Corrals and punishes quarterbacks in the backfield, closing quickly and exploding into the tackle. Inconsistent disengaging from blocks; better left tackles can stand him up and latch on with impunity. Can be pushed back with an initial punch but keeps coming to provide a strong secondary rush. Not a great threat to turn the corner from the edge. Forces tackle up the field and can spin inside to prevent scrambles or pressure quarterbacks stepping up into the pocket. Has the length to affect passing lanes when unable to reach the passer but could get his hands up more often.

Run defense: Strong against the run whether lining up against guards or tackles. Crashes down to close gaps. Can spin off of blocks when runners cut back against the grain. Crashes down on inside runs, using length to get into a play. Good punch to knock his man back, attacks the ball when it is in his area. Maintains edge discipline to prevent bootleg plays on his side of the field. His height can be used against him -- he fails to get low on occasion and loses leverage against stronger guards and double teams. Susceptible to cut blocks, though he is athletic enough to recover and get back into the play. Too strong for tight ends to handle one-on-one and uses leverage and hands to blow through edge blocks. Only adequate backfield awareness, will be sucked in on misdirection and lacks great change-of-direction agility.

Explosion: Excellent quickness off the snap, splits double teams with ease and provides a rare pop into his blocker's pads to knock him back. Will be first man off the ball when pinning his ears back on the rush. Very difficult for slower linemen to match his combination of strength and explosiveness, makes beating them look easy.

Strength: Flashes great upper-body and hand strength, dominating most college linemen with leverage and burst, but does not consistently overwhelm better players. Does not have exceptional muscle definition in his arms. Plays tall inside and lacks a great anchor to maintain his ground against NFL-caliber double-team blocking.

Tackling: Solid tackler; can be explosive and always gives good effort. Leans when closing on the ball to ensure contact and his long arms allow him to wrap consistently. Good hustle downfield on screens. Also follows plays down the line and can chase to the opposite sideline. Best when attacking plays in front of him. Though he can redirect well for his height and size, he doesn't change direction easily and lacks the immediate burst to play on the edge in the NFL.

Intangibles: He has a great attitude, work ethic and immense talent. Well-liked by his teammates and coaches, he has fun playing the game. Hustles without wearing down much during the game. Returned for his senior season because he enjoyed college and wanted to win a national championship. Father, the late Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, was a star running back in college and the NFL. Stepfather is Cory Blackwell, a star basketball player for the Wisconsin Badgers in the 1980s who played one season for the NBA's Seattle Sonics.

So he's underproductive, lazy, has limited positional flexibility, compares to bums like Marcus Spears and Kenyon Coleman, just had elbow surgery and isn't at a need position for the Steelers?

Smokescreen.

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I've been so much driven by (IMO) glaring need (DB, OL) that I've discounted BPA when really that ignores the FO modus.

It'd be nice to find another stud OL this year. Not gonna get my hopes up drafting so late though. Thank Christ they nailed that Pouncey pick. Flozell's performance was damn near miraculous based on what common thought would've projected for him. Surely still a need spot.

Ike Taylor had his best season here. He's still going to show flaws but I was proud of his showing last season. Even if he is brought back, he's getting up there in age and I'm not thrilled with the depth behind him. McFadden is terribly inconsistent. Gay is a solid blitzer and closes fast on the ball but gets lost all the time. If the guy has time to make a move on him, he's gonna beat him. Despite having Lady Gaga on my ipod and my copious amount of shoes I am just not (and have never been!) a big Gay guy. And Madison is worse than he is. Special teamer only. Crezdon Butler and Keenan Lewis, for whatever reason, couldn't beat Madison out. Maybe they're just slow learners. Maybe it was a numbers game with the gameday actives and they needed Madison to dress due to STs. Whatever the reason these guys stayed buried and we lost the Super Bowl party because our DBs made Jordy Nelson look like Jerry Rice. Throw the bums out.

So he's underproductive, lazy, has limited positional flexibility, compares to bums like Marcus Spears and Kenyon Coleman, just had elbow surgery and isn't at a need position for the Steelers?

Smokescreen.

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I've been so much driven by (IMO) glaring need (DB, OL) that I've discounted BPA when really that ignores the FO modus.

It'd be nice to find another stud OL this year. Not gonna get my hopes up drafting so late though. Thank Christ they nailed that Pouncey pick. Flozell's performance was damn near miraculous based on what common thought would've projected for him. Surely still a need spot.

Ike Taylor had his best season here. He's still going to show flaws but I was proud of his showing last season. Even if he is brought back, he's getting up there in age and I'm not thrilled with the depth behind him. McFadden is terribly inconsistent. Gay is a solid blitzer and closes fast on the ball but gets lost all the time. If the guy has time to make a move on him, he's gonna beat him. Despite having Lady Gaga on my ipod and my copious amount of shoes I am just not (and have never been!) a big Gay guy. And Madison is worse than he is. Special teamer only. Crezdon Butler and Keenan Lewis, for whatever reason, couldn't beat Madison out. Maybe they're just slow learners. Maybe it was a numbers game with the gameday actives and they needed Madison to dress due to STs. Whatever the reason these guys stayed buried and we lost the Super Bowl party because our DBs made Jordy Nelson look like Jerry Rice. Throw the bums out.

Entirely possible that these were mentioned/covered in some of the other draft threads that I might've missed.

FWIW, both guys have Pittsburgh taking a safe, unspectacular and equally unimpressive IOL. Again, haven't been keeping a close eye this year, but neither of those guys seems worth a R1 pick. And, if things played out the way McShay predicts, I'd be pretty pissed if they passed on Jimmy Smith in lieu of a "versatile" IOL.